Field of the Invention
An assembly of a plurality of terminal blocks mounted on a common horizontal support member is provided, including a supply terminal block connected with a voltage source, and a plurality of distribution terminal blocks connected with a plurality of loads, respectively, characterized in that the length and height dimensions of the terminal blocks are the same, but the width of the supply terminal block is greater than that of the distribution terminal blocks, and that the supply conductor contact arrangements of the supply terminal block are designed for connection with a supply conductor having a relatively large cross-sectional area, while the distribution conductor contact arrangements of the distribution terminal blocks are designed for connection with distribution conductors having a relatively small cross-sectional area.
Description of Related Art
Modular terminal blocks have long been known in the most diverse of configurations. They are assembled on the mounting base, generally a hat-shaped support rail, into functional blocks, such as a functional block for the power supply of consumers. For this, according to the prior art, several output terminals are placed in a row on a modular terminal block, serving as a feed-in terminal, wherein the potential distribution within the terminal block occurs by means of bus bars or by means of so-called cross links.
In order to realize an installation task—for example, the providing of a voltage distribution between an inverter power supply and consumers—with or without a secured Plus potential—the user assembles several terminal blocks into a terminal block assembly. For example, in order to assemble the afore-mentioned terminal block for the power supply of consumers (hereinafter also called operating means), a feed-in terminal with a housing with relatively large dimensions in the directions normal to the support rail and at least one larger conductor connection arrangement or a conductor connection for conductors of relatively large diameter are placed in a row with several modular terminals suitable for an output function, for example by means of modular through terminals each having a housing of smaller dimensions in these directions and with two or more smaller conductor connection apparatuses for reduced cross-section conductors (compared to the feed-in conductor(s)) of smaller diameter.
The modular terminal blocks of the terminal block assembly, however, generally have sometimes different dimensions. The selection and assembly of the modular terminal blocks—and also the realization of a corresponding circuit with the modular terminal blocks—must be accomplished by the user himself with the aid of catalogs and the like, which can be relatively laborious. Furthermore, on account of the different dimensions of the housings being assembled into a block on the support rail, a relatively unsightly, jagged appearance often results.
A further terminal block and a further modular terminal block arrangement of the prior art is shown by EP 0 222 030 B1. According to this document, several modular terminals of the same dimension are assembled into an initiator terminal block. However, the terminal block is only suitable for the distribution of very small powers. No reduction of the cross section is accomplished.
On the other hand, the present invention takes a different approach, wherein the supply and distribution terminal blocks have the same length and height dimensions, but the width of the supply terminal block is greater than that on the distribution terminal blocks, thereby to permit the contact connections to the relatively-large-diameter supply conductor to be larger than the contact connections to the relatively-small-diameter distribution conductors.